Teens Lead Ahead 2011

TWC hosted the first annual Teens Lead Ahead 2011 youth camp June 16-19. 30 teens from Kipnuk, Kwethluk and Napaskiak joined Bethel Teens Acting Against Violence members for 2 full days and three nights of leadership and prevention activities. This camp was a tremendous success- check out the digital story! The entire gathering was planned by teens in TAAV using the planning model of the statewide Lead On! violence prevention/leadership conference, which many of the TAAV have attended and helped plan in recent years. During the camp, youth spent one night at BABS, the second night at fish camp and the third night was a sleepover night at TWC. Katie (Baldwin) Basile and Alfred Wallace provided instruction and technical assistance on digital storytelling, there were elder talks, storyteller Gene Tagaban (who is originally from Southeast Alaska) shared performances and stories with the group at fish camp, TAAV provided a healthy relationships talk, there were suicide prevention talks, and other activities and speakers. We are excited to build on this model in future years as a youth violence prevention and leadership strategy. Community partners through the Elluatmun Partnership were critical for the positive outcomes of this camp (AVCP, ONC, YKHC, LKSD, etc.) and we thank everyone from these organizations who helped as well as the chaperones and other helping adults from the villages and Bethel. Quyana!